Date palm

In the oases of Fezzan and Jufra dates were the staple food for centuries – Libya has millions of date palms.

A tall palm with pinnate leaves several metres long, growing from a single trunk or forming clumps thanks to offshoots at the base. It is from these offshoots, not from seed, that prized varieties are propagated, to preserve the flavour of the fruit. Dates are very high in calories and, once dried, can be stored for months, so they were the staple food of caravans. Every part of the palm has a use: the trunks serve as ceiling beams, the leaves as roofing and the stones as animal feed.

Significance in the country

The date palm is the most important cultivated tree of Libya’s oases, from Ghadames and Ghat to Kufra and Jalu. Asida drizzled with date syrup is a traditional Libyan festive dish.

Where it grows

In the oases of Fezzan (Sabha, Ubari, Murzuq, Ghat), in Jufra (Hun, Waddan), in Ghadames and in the oases of Jalu, Awjila and Kufra; many palms also grow in the gardens of coastal Tripolitania.

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